Spread the Sanctuaries Not Tanks message this Dolphin Day

Science is conclusive. Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) simply are not, and cannot, thrive when kept in tanks. The captive environment is far too restrictive compared to the vast distances and environments that these animals experience in the wild.

Restrictive space: Tanks are just a fraction of the natural home range of wild cetaceans (Tyack, 2009).

Social environment: Keeping unrelated individuals together can result in aggression, injury, illness and even death (Waples & Gales, 2002).

Use of tranquillizers: Diazepam is commonly used to control anxiety and stereotypical behaviour in individuals (Knight, 2013).

Threat to wild populations: Wild capture continues to threat local populations and individuals are still taken from the wild to stock dolphinaria in emerging markets including Russia and China (Reeves et al., 2003; Fisher & Reeves, 2005).